The cost of ICT devices had gone up after the blank tape levy came into force.
What is a Blank Tape Levy?
A nominal fee imposed on the sale of blank media and devices,
such as CDs, DVDs, USB drives, and smartphones, which can be used to make personal
copies of copyright content. The collected funds are then distributed to creatives.
What is affected? Any device that can be used to store copyrighted content like a phone, computer, laptops, smart watches, CDs, tapes, memory card, TV, game consoles, printing papers, photocopying machines, hard disks or USB disk.
Why?
This levy is imposed by the Copyright law to compensate copyright holders for potential
revenue lost when individuals make private copies of their copyrighted works, such as
music, movies, or software. Private copying allows individuals to make personal backups or
copies of copyrighted material for their own use, such as making a backup of a music CD or
copying a movie to a personal device.
What is the commencement date? 15th September 2023.
Read more about the law here
Reuben Kagame sued to halt release of the levy to creatives to ensure the equitable distribution of the collected funds without excluding any category of copyright owners. Read more here